Daniel Marcin takes on U.S. Rep. John Dingell: 'You can talk to me after I get destroyed in the primary'

In an interview with AnnArbor.com, the Ann Arbor Democrat conceded he'll be happy if he gets 15 percent of the vote against the 29-term congressman from Dearborn.

"But he's raised like 500 times more money than I have, so he has to get 500 times more votes than me for it to be a success," he said half-jokingly.

Marcin, a 25-year-old Maryland native pursuing a Ph.D in economics at the University of Michigan, said he's still serious about his campaign, though.

Daniel Marcin poses for a portrait outside a cafe in downtown Ann Arbor after chatting with AnnArbor.com about the Aug. 7 primary in which he's taking on U.S. Rep. John Dingell. He believes he's going to lose by a landslide.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

And even if he gets crushed by Dingell on Tuesday like he expects, Marcin hopes he at least was able to push a conversation on some important issues.

"I propose new environmental legislation that raises money and cuts the income tax and does a better job of protecting the environment than the Clean Air Act," he said. "I also propose more economic stimulus measures that would do more to stimulate the economy, and I do wonder why the Democrats in 2009 and 2010 did not push for a larger stimulus bill."

"It was a little lukewarm, but it's something," Marcin said. "But he seems to be ignoring everything I say about the environment and also about stimulating the economy."

Dingell commented on his change of heart on same-sex marriage in an interview with AnnArbor.com earlier this week.

"A lot of things have happened," he said. "We had a chance to see how DOMA worked. It didn't work as well as it should have so I thought it was time to repeal it.

"I've also found that Debbie and I have large numbers of gay friends and I really think that it is a way of respecting their desire for a loving and warm and trusting relationship, so I have introduced legislation to repeal DOMA. That seems to be the right thing to do."

Dingell, who has been in Congress since 1955 and has remained unbeatable since he first took office at the age of 29, said he's glad Marcin is running against him.

"I'll be very truthful with you, I'm always happy to have opponents," he said. "I need a campaign. It helps me get around and see my people."

Dingell, 86, said he doesn't think it's proper for him to comment on his opponent, so he's not saying much about Marcin, but he said he takes every campaign seriously.

"We're out getting around, seeing our people as much as we can. I'm home every weekend," he said. "I'm doing all of the things you do, getting around the district."

David and Goliath

As of the latest campaign finance reports, Dingell had raised more than $1 million and had more than $434,000 in cash on hand.

Marcin raised $15,475 — $12,620 of which came from his own pocket — and had only $626 in cash left as of July 18.

Asked if he thinks that was a good investment, Marcin hesitated before responding: "Well, we'll see if I push him on the issues enough to know if it was a good investment."

"I mean, it's definitely been a learning experience and it unbelievably has opened doors that I did not think would open," he said. "And I think some of those will become apparent after the election. You can talk to me after I get destroyed in the primary."

The winner of the Democratic primary will take on one of two Republicans who are duking it out on the GOP ticket. Trenton resident and small business owner Cynthia Kallgren is competing against Dearborn resident Karen Jacobsen, who also owns a business.

They're running in the new 12th congressional district, which stretches from Wayne County into Washtenaw, covering Downriver, Dearborn, Belleville, Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor.

U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, sits down with AnnArbor.com on Monday to talk about the race.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

"The Legislature has moved me around on a continuing basis. I've represented practically the whole southeast corner of the state of Michigan," Dingell said of his shifting district over the years.

"It's gone as far west as Adrian and a little further past that in Lenawee, and it's gone about halfway across Washtenaw," he said. "The Legislature this time found they couldn't put me any place I haven't been before, so they took Monroe away from me, which makes me sad because I'm working on a national park down there and a bunch of other things."

No matter how the district lines are drawn, past election results have shown Dingell remains popular among his constituency, and for that he's grateful.

"I didn't get elected to Congress 29 times because I was a crook or a bumbler or an incompetent," he said. "I think the people have re-elected me because I've shown a very high level of effectiveness and competence in terms of constituent service — or legislation which I've gotten through or which I've stopped or which I've amended."

Even with the national unemployment rate still hovering above 8 percent, Dingell said he's proud of his accomplishments in the last few years.

"I've gotten a lot of jobs for my people," he said. "I've saved the auto industry, I am continuing important local projects like the national park we're building in Monroe, or the refuge which we're building on the Detroit River for Fish and Wildlife, which is now close to 6,000 acres."

He also points to the $13.9 million federal grant he delivered to help the city of Ann Arbor pay for the reconstruction of the Stadium bridges, a project ongoing right now.

"I've been responsible for thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars flowing into this district, including $263 million that I got just on health for the University of Michigan alone," he said. "But we've also done that for the University of Michigan Dearborn, Eastern Michigan, Henry Ford, and Wayne and Washtenaw Community College."

Criticizing the congressman

Marcin, who considers himself politically to the left of Dingell, has criticized the congressman for not being progressive enough on economic and environmental issues.

Marcin wants to see a federal tax system that penalizes people and corporations based on how much they pollute. He complains that Dingell holds up the Clean Air Act as a triumph when it doesn't do enough to protect the environment from polluters.

"The Clean Air Act actually puts no penalties on point source polluters," Marcin said. "The penalties are all on counties where air quality is substandard. The penalties should be on the people who are actually polluting, not the counties that have to breathe in the air."

Dingell said Marcin's comments just show he doesn't fully understand the law, which traces back to the 1960s and has been amended multiple times.

"If he's complaining about the two clean air acts that I worked out — and the last of which I'm the author on — he should take that complaint up with the conservation community, which unanimously endorsed that legislation," Dingell said.

Marcin collecting signatures to run for office earlier this year.

Courtesy photo

"Criminal penalties don't work," he added.

Marcin acknowledges he's running a humble, grass-roots campaign. He has a team of friends helping him out, but he doesn't have any major groups backing him.

Asked to describe the nature of his campaign, Marcin hesitated before responding: "I'm just trying to think what I can actually say here that doesn't look absolutely pathetic."

Marcin also hesitated when asked how his campaign is going and what kind of reaction he's getting from voters. "I'm not sure how to answer this," he eventually said. "I'm not going door to door. Yeah I'm just not gonna I don't really have anything to say."

Dingell is endorsed by a number of major labor organizations ranging from the Teamsters to the United Auto Workers, as well as groups like Clean Water Action. He also has picked up endorsements from both the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News.

If he gets a 30th term, he said he'll use it wisely.

"I intend to keep working on my projects here in the district," he said. "I intend to keep working on jobs. I intend to keep working to protect Social Security and Medicare. And I intend to keep going on seeing to it that the Affordable Care Act, of which I'm one of the principal sponsors, is properly administered and becomes the law of the land."

Dingell points to his recent achievements in Congress as the best indication of his potential for delivering on those promises if re-elected.

"We've produced thousands of jobs, saved the auto industry, saved the suppliers, and saw to it that I've gotten three major pieces of legislation through," he said, mentioning a food safety bill, a pharmaceutical safety bill and a pipeline safety bill.

Asked about the prospect of federal funding for a new train station in Ann Arbor, Dingell responded: "That appears to be under control, and the mayor seems to be content. I haven't talked to him about it for a while, but when last I did everything was in good order."

Marcin said he doesn't think there should be a train station on Fuller Road, where the mayor and other city officials want to see it built, since that's city parkland.

Instead of funding a new train station, Marcin thinks Dingell should be focused on trying to deliver more federal funds to rehire laid-off police officers, firefighters and teachers.

"That's the easy money. Where is that?" he said. "If we rehired back all the teachers, police and firefighters that have been laid off since the recession, the unemployment rate would be a full percentage point lower and economists are just in wide agreement that we are pursuing the wrong policies."

'The dirtiest election in history'

Dingell said the 2012 election is much bigger than his own race. The future of the United States is at stake, he said, along with everything he stands for as a Democrat. He said he's doing everything he can to make sure President Barack Obama is re-elected.

"Because at stake is every program that I believe in from Social Security and Medicare to the Affordable Care Act, and all of the conservation and consumer protections and financial regulation legislation we've adopted," he said. "The Republicans are trying to repeal all of that."

Marcin said it won't be the end of the world if Dingell stays in office. On a lot of issues, he agreed, the blame goes to the partisan gridlock in Congress.

"John Dingell is clearly not my least favorite congressman," Marcin said. "I will freely admit that on most issues he votes the right way. So the Republicans are definitely, I think, the source of the problem. But the Democrats aren't fighting back enough."

Dingell, 86, has been in Congress since he was 29.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Marcin said Dingell should have fought harder for a larger stimulus package when economists were saying more than $1 trillion was needed for it to work.

"But you've got to remember that when you're dealing with people who do not want something and have the keys of power, you cannot get anything done without making concessions or getting enough votes to go around them," he said.

The recovery act could have been better, but it was pretty good, Dingell said, adding it saved thousands of jobs for police officers, firefighters and teachers.

"We got $18 billion for the state of Michigan, without which this state would have been in bankruptcy," he said. "And that flowed through to all kinds of communities. It was that money that built the bridge down the road. It has improved hundreds of miles of road in this district."

Dingell said he's also proud that he helped with the successful creation of a bankruptcy plan that saved General Motors and Chrysler.

One of the biggest criticisms Dingell hears often is that he's been in Congress too long and he's too old. On that point, Marcin at least partially defends Dingell.

"He's been in Congress too long, but I don't think he's too old," he said. "He's a very sharp guy. I've met him twice now and, yeah, he's a very impressive guy."

Dingell said voters can decide that for themselves.

"We are a part of a great system in which people who hold office are tested and I'm tested every two years," he said. "And very frankly, I happen to regard it as important because it sees that I am fit for the job in terms of service and intelligence, and physical and emotional and mental capabilities.

"And it gives people a chance to tell me what they think I ought to do."

As he looks ahead to what's in store between now and November, Dingell said he's expecting the ugliest election year in the history of the United States.

"It's going to be, I think, the dirtiest, nastiest, election in history," he said. "Second, it is going to be the most expensive election in history. It's probably going to cost more than $2 billion and I can't tell you how much more because of the Citizens United case, which is not only going to permit almost unlimited expenditures, but which will also allow the hiding of the names of people who contribute."

Comments

Help me clear this up. I am under the question of How old you/me have to bee to run for office. last time I check it was 30 and over! So dingell started at 29 ?help

cmadler

Mon, Aug 6, 2012 : 7 p.m.

According to the US Constitution, a person must be 25 to hold a seat in the US House of Representatives (Article I, section 2), 30 for a seat in the US Senate (Article I, section 3), and 35 to be President (Article II, section 1). Dingell has only ever served in the House.

Huron74

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 8:58 p.m.

People get the kind of government that they deserve.

Josie

Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 3:02 p.m.

Ouch. Don't tell that to the Syrians.

Peter Eckstein

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 7:09 p.m.

&quot;I'm not going door to door. Yeah … I'm just not gonna … I don't really have anything to say.&quot;
Enough said.

Arno B

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 6:39 p.m.

Always great to hear from the Tooth Fairy!
One small item which none of the supporters of the &quot;Affordable Care Act&quot; care to propose: If it is so great, why are people like Dingell (plus Reid, Biden, Levin, Stabenow, etc.) deliberately exempting themselves from it?
Some of his admirers should get him to put his money where his mouth is and propose legislation to get all government employees into Obamacare. Opposition to the &quot;Affordable Care Act&quot; would disappear overnight I suspect.
Bear in mind that when this &quot;Act&quot; was only 600 pages long, Government employees were to be included. That inclusion soon disappeared. The old dictum about &quot;do as I say, not as I do&quot; sure applies here too.

snark12

Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 4:32 a.m.

This is a false rumor that gets repeated too often. it has no basis in fact.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2011/12/08/congress-exempted-from-obamacare/

Honest Abe

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 2:58 p.m.

I just donated to the DIngell campaign...........25 cans of prune juice and a box of pull up's.

Dan Marcin

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 3:30 p.m.

Completely uncalled for.

mr_annarbor

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 1:52 p.m.

What's a real shame is that Lynn Rivers was gerrymandered out of Congress and we got stuck with Dingell. Dingell is certainly better than a Republican, and he's done a lot in his years as a Congressman, but I think it's now time to move on.

Rod Johnson

Thu, Aug 9, 2012 : 4:10 a.m.

Agreed. Wish we could have a do-over on that. Lynn was great.

walker101

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 1:51 p.m.

How do you raise money and do not raise taxes? I guess you democrats must think money still grows on trees? More stimulus money, maybe you better start planting more money trees, I guess it would be kind of nice to support those big banks with our tax money so they can increase those fees to pay back those little fees.
I think I'll sign up for some of those economic classes, I must be missing something big.

Dan Marcin

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 2:06 p.m.

From the article:
(start)
Marcin wants to see a federal tax system that penalizes people and corporations based on how much they pollute. He complains that Dingell holds up the Clean Air Act as a triumph when it doesn't do enough to protect the environment from polluters.
&quot;The Clean Air Act actually puts no penalties on point source polluters,&quot; Marcin said. &quot;The penalties are all on counties where air quality is substandard. The penalties should be on the people who are actually polluting, not the counties that have to breathe in the air.&quot;
(end)
I clearly and freely admit that my plan institutes a tax on pollution. The extra revenue is used to reduce the income tax. Also, I clearly lay out what should be done with stimulus money, and as you'll see, the first thing is the rehiring or retaining of police, firefighters, and teachers. Nothing for banks.

Jimbo

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 1:30 p.m.

Hey Essjay!
How about this!
&quot;There's only two congressman in the House of Representatives right now who voted to take Social Security out of its own account and allow it into the general fund, and John Dingell is one of them. Up until 1965 the Social Security funds couldn't be used in the general budget, and in 1965 John Dingell voted to turn those funds into the general ledger and be used for any purpose,&quot;
So little Johnny was all for raiding that fund to support his follies. Not only that, they play with the numbers. Like the briefcase in the movie &quot;Dumb and Dumber&quot; the Social Security fund is full of IOUs from the Federal Government which will be $16,000,000,000,000.00 in debt by the end of this month.
He is what is wrong with this country and like Joe Paterno, I hope he is finally exposed for what he really is!

melloyellow

Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 10:30 p.m.

In 2004 $ 1,5 Trillon WAS taken out of the Social Security &quot;lock&quot;box. and LOANED to the U S Treasury, in exchage it recieves Special- iussue treasury Bonds.The actual cash goes into the goverment general revenue POOL.
The bonds are special because, unlike other goverment bonds, they can`t be bought or sold on the open Market, and they can be redeemed at any time at face value.
but just like other goverment bonds, the special-iusse treasurys pay interest and are backed by the full FAITHand CREDIT of the U.S goverment , which has NEVER DEFAULTED on its Debtt. SO RAISE my SS check to $ 3000 a months we Seniro will build the ECONOMY up like we did in 1956 And end AMERICAS longest &quot;WAR&quot; THW WAR on PROVERTY&quot; sighned by president Lyndon B.Johnson in 1964
DO the right THING .....NOW

essjay

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 12:54 p.m.

There are no substantial comments or arguments against Mr. Dingell within this feed, simply ignorant, immature banter with no hint of truth.
Fortunately, the majority of Mr. Dingell's constituents are educated voters who live and experience what the Congressman has done for us. As an educator, I am grateful for how hard the Congressman fights for his district, particularly in special education and the children considered to be at-risk. He fought for the Ypsilanti Housing commission, grants for the Ann Arbor Hands on Museum, is a pioneer for veteran care and had a huge part in the construction for the critical corridor construction in Ann Arbor, which also supports countless small businesses with the TIGER II Grant.
The list goes one and on and on. Even those who are going out of their way to adamantly criticize Mr. Dingell are benefiting from what he has fought for. Don't believe me? Call him yourself, he's known for being one of the most personable Congressman on the floor: (202) 225-4071

melloyellow

Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 10:14 p.m.

I have called and invited Rep.John Dingell to come and speak /and give us Senior the answer we need and the HELP /assistince our vetreans have EARNED , but in 4 years time.NO LUCK.
Since we are not educated and know how to k a... We will be spending our Senior time in prayer to a higher ..that will answer our needs ..and over right the political Sytem Anytime..Hench the Drought ..hench the Bugs...hench gasprices over $ 4.00 ..The department of energy was created in 1974 to insure our gas will be avaable and affordeablt. IT no longer pays to work at MCdonald ..the minumwages DOESNOT COVER the GASOLINE....etc etc..P&gt;S Congressmen WE need your word on the hOUSING CRISIS WE ARE IN. see you at our house!

SEC Fan

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 11 p.m.

@Stephen. I respectfully disagree. the link you provide, as does this one (http://www.ssa.gov/oact/progdata/fundFAQ.html) are using semantics.
to say that the &quot;IOUs&quot; are backed by the &quot;full faith and credit of the U.S.&quot; is really just a bunch of fluff. &quot;Yeah...I'm good for it&quot;. The reality is actually quite the opposite.
Congress can - and has - modified SS outlays to suit their benefit...that is, if they feel it is getting too expensive, they can adjust how much SS pays and therefore adjust how much of the &quot;IOUs&quot; they must pay back. Enron pulled this same stunt and looked what happened there. (which is why Congress passed a law requiring all companies to &quot;fully fund&quot; their pension systems...EXCEPT Congress and SS).
The U.S.'s credit rating has already been downgraded. We are now at $16 TRILLION in debt with that number increasing at over $1TRILLION per year. So to say that the SS IOUs are &quot;backed by the full faith and credit&quot; of the U.S. is really just semantics and actually quite meaningless. Why do you think Congress has been laying the ground work for over a decade to reduce SS benefits?
In fact, if you don't believe that previous statement, check the SS FAQ I posted above. # 7 states &quot;Many options are being considered to restore long-range trust fund solvency. &quot; So semantically-speaking, you (Congress, and SS) are correct...it literally cannot go &quot;insolvent&quot; when Congress can simply pass a law dissolving it and thereby eliminating 100% of the IOUs and related interest.
But practically speaking, Congress has taken all the money from SS taxes and spent it to cover their deficit spending.

Stephen

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 5:07 p.m.

&quot;In 1965, the Dems pushed through a bill authorizing moving the surplus Social Security funds (which, by the way, has always brought in more money that it has spent) from a &quot;protected&quot; account to the General fund, so it could be used to offset deficit spending. Dingell voted for this.&quot;
This is a myth, made popular by a chain e-mail, if I'm not mistaken. Here's the truth:
http://www.ssa.gov/history/InternetMyths.html
&quot;The idea here is basically correct. However, this statement is usually joined to a second statement to the effect that this principle was violated by subsequent Administrations. However, there has never been any change in the way the Social Security program is financed or the way that Social Security payroll taxes are used by the federal government.
The Social Security Trust Fund was created in 1939 as part of the Amendments enacted in that year. From its inception, the Trust Fund has always worked the same way. The Social Security Trust Fund has never been &quot;put into the general fund of the government.&quot;
Most likely this myth comes from a confusion between the financing of the Social Security program and the way the Social Security Trust Fund is treated in federal budget accounting. Starting in 1969 (due to action by the Johnson Administration in 1968) the transactions to the Trust Fund were included in what is known as the &quot;unified budget.&quot; This means that every function of the federal government is included in a single budget. This is sometimes described by saying that the Social Security Trust Funds are &quot;on-budget.&quot; This budget treatment of the Social Security Trust Fund continued until 1990 when the Trust Funds were again taken &quot;off-budget.&quot; This means only that they are shown as a separate account in the federal budget. But whether the Trust Funds are &quot;on-budget&quot; or &quot;off-budget&quot; is primarily a question of accounting practices--it has no affect on the actual operations o

SEC Fan

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 3 p.m.

(continued)...
I've personally spoken with Mr. Dingell on quite a few occasions. I've also heard him speak on several dozen more. The one common theme I hear is how &quot;Congress&quot; failed to do something and how he's gonna &quot;fix&quot; it. the vast majority of his &quot;campaigning&quot; (actions) is strictly in reaction to some &quot;emergency&quot;. He's made his living campaigning to the Polls. Period. Granted, he has done some good things (not in the last 20 years though). And for every anecdotal example you can give representing &quot;good&quot; he has done, we can come up with one representing the negative:
- Supported Vietnam War until 1971.
- supported Civil Rights Bill...BUT opposed desegregation in Detroit.
- has consistently opposed raising mandatory fuel efficiency Standards (has blindly supported the Auto Industry. Has in excess of $1Million in GM stock. Debbie, of course used to be a lobbyist for GM and is now in an &quot;administrative&quot; role -- no more &quot;lobbying&quot;).

SEC Fan

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 2:56 p.m.

I have a couple of &quot;substantial&quot; comments:
Dingell got into office in 1955. The Dems took control of Congress shortly thereafter (58 I believe). Eisenhower was in office and in 1960 had a budge surplus of $301Million. The Dems controlled Congress continuously until 1982.
In 1965, the Dems pushed through a bill authorizing moving the surplus Social Security funds (which, by the way, has always brought in more money that it has spent) from a &quot;protected&quot; account to the General fund, so it could be used to offset deficit spending. Dingell voted for this.
From 1961 to 1982, the federal budget was balanced only once, in 1969 (Johnson was Pres.). That was the last time a Democratically controlled Congress passed a non-deficit budget. (The non-deficit budgets of 1998 thru 2001 were passed by a Republican controlled Congress).
Since 1982 (30 years), the Republicans have controlled Congress a total of 9 years (4 of which were budget surpluses). The Dems have controlled Congress a total of 13 years during this time (the rest was split).
The one constant in all this data is Mr. Dingell. Now, I'm real glad he brought some of this deficit money to AA to build the Hands On Museum. Nice touch. BUT, his primary job is to help run the COUNTRY.
How much better off would we be today if there had been a better history of fiscal responsibility? or more PROACTIVE oversight by Congress?

OLDTIMER3

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 12:27 p.m.

Is there a map of these district changes?

Dan Marcin

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 2:06 p.m.

http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/districtlocator/

Hot Sam

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 11:57 a.m.

If people like Dingle were the solution, we wouldn't have any problems...

Mike

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 11:27 a.m.

Dingell is the poster child for what is wrong with Washington and the sheep continue to flock to the poles for more of the same........Does he put some kind of hypnotic message in his political ads or have we a country really turned our brains all the way off?

tom swift jr.

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 11:17 a.m.

There was a day when we actually respected people who spent that much time serving us. If you disagree with his beliefs, present a solid argument. These comments do nothing but prove a lack of respect and inability to form a discussion.

Rod Johnson

Thu, Aug 9, 2012 : 4:09 a.m.

Then, Travis, you should try to get your emotions in check, because I was simply clarifying someone else's comment; I have expressed no opinion nor taken any position myself. If even this drives you to such sadness, you need to man up a little.

TravisT

Sun, Aug 5, 2012 : 2:32 a.m.

@Rod Johnson
Your comment made me very sad. Ignatz clearly disagrees with conservative policy, which is totally fine, but he has completely failed to present a solid argument. His comments &quot;do nothing but prove a lack of respect and inability to form a discussion.&quot;
And what makes me sad is that your (and his) inability to recognize this highlights a deeper problem in American politics. People are always willing to point out flaws in the people they disagree with, but are even more willing to overlook those same flaws in the people whose ideas they support.

essjay

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 4:33 p.m.

*face palm* I suppose it's a good thing I'm not running for congress, huh?

Rod Johnson

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 3:31 p.m.

Uh, no, Ignatz is agreeing with Tom.

essjay

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 12:56 p.m.

Thank you for proving Tom's point, Ignatz

Ignatz

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 11:30 a.m.

It's easier to replace one's brain with a soggy tea bag and chant the mantra.

Bcar

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 11:11 a.m.

&quot;I didn't get elected to Congress 29 times because I was a crook or a bumbler or an incompetent...&quot;
ahhh, yeah ya did...

Basic Bob

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 9:11 p.m.

Only in Ann Arbor do voters think of voting record as more important than results. Our state legislators regularly vote on the losing side and have absolutely nothing to show for it. No compromise, no joint legislation, but perfect voting records. A moral victory? No, just defeat. Six years in office down the drain.

Bcar

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 3:05 p.m.

Evidence??? How about you look at his voting record...

Ed Kimball

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 1:27 p.m.

Evidence?

motorcycleminer

Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 10:37 a.m.

Way, way, way past time for that dinasour to go..I wish him the best in his attempt ...